Aloha kakahiaka!
The HOKA Shake out run kick started the day – Daniela Ryf, 5x World Champion, Craig (Crowie) Alexander, 3x World Champion, oh and me! 10th at the World Champs. Lol!
A fantastic turn out though for the run, with local island athletes and HOKA Flyer athletes, a local school cross country team, IRONMAN athletes, supporters and more.
What was particularly cool about this run was the t shirts we were all gifted by HOKA were designed by local artist Brandy-Alia Serikaku and incorporated the flowers, trees, clouds and local Hawaiian symbolisation. If you are here in Kona, head down to the expo to support more local artists – #hereforthewahine
Next chapter for GOAT contender Ryf
There are so many events happening now, I think there were at least three different shake out runs today with different brands, partners and teams for athletes to choose from.
Another event that got a great turn out today was the premier of Daniela Ryf’s documentary – Life After Elite Sport. Don’t worry kids it’ll be out on a streaming platform soon!
I was interested to go along, not just to support Daniela, and her incredible career, but also to gain Daniela’s insights and advice for transitioning from elite sport into… ?
Daniela seems incredibly content with where she is at now. She seems to have processed her amazing career in sport and moved on to the next chapter, with new exciting opportunities, and the enjoyment of making the most of her impressive wine cellar.
After an elite career in sport, it’s also finding out what does ‘exercising’ mean to you, or what does training mean now, without that goal or accountability from when it was your job.
I’d say for many of us, triathlon is a lifestyle. It’s part of who we are as active people. I’ve done sport since as long as I can remember – Netball, Hockey, Athletics and then Triathlon and so I wasn’t or I’m not prepared for not having sport in my life.
But having had it as your life, with 25-30 hours a week of training, it’s now working out what does that look like now in terms of hours per week and how I want to feel.
I’ve realised (more than I thought I would) it’s incredibly important for me to move and be active for my mental and physical health. I’m still trying to work out, what that looks like and how much.
It may well be that I’m still in the grieving phases of loss (of professional sport), and so still craving those endorphins from the training sessions, so looking for more. This may change with time, who knows.
‘Legs felt detached from body’
Something else that was highlighted to me today too was… Training Works! Who knew!
My coach used to always say this, when we were coming back from a break, and numbers were low, and paces off. Dibs would say… “what would be the point of training, if your numbers were what they were before your break?” and “there’s a reason we train”.
This was highlighted, on a pre dinner shake out run. I was kindly invited to join Maja Stage Nielson, (one of the Pros racing this weekend), on her evening shake out run, with two other friends as well, Til and Annika Schenk. Thirty minutes easy. Fifteen minutes out and back along Ali’I Drive, and to include six times twenty second strides or accelerations.
As Maja effortlessly pulled away on the first one – strong, smooth, fast, but making it look easy, I told my legs to go faster, but they felt strangely detached from my body and didn’t want to listen to or adhere to the instruction (perhaps also worried about pulling a hamstring), and I saw a marginal increase in pace, compared to Maja now up the road.
It was stated after we regrouped on the recovery (Thanks Til) that it would have been wrong if Til and I (the older, unfit ‘athletes’) had beaten or even just been able to keep up with the athlete about to race! True! And Maja, whilst still young, is one of the most experienced here, having had seven IRONMAN World Championship finishes.
‘Don’t **** it up now’
It’s getting close now… just a couple of days away from a very special day for so many athletes. Don’t **** it up now. Don’t leave your race out on Ali’I Drive doing your shake out run tomorrow, or on the Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway pushing hard to Scenic Point.
Use today to get your kit in order (if not already done so) – I’d have had mine laid out since I arrived and unpacked.
Oh and also, a little Public Service Notice (or rather a personal pet peeve) – please there is NO need to ride on your aerobars on Ali’I Drive. No need!
You don’t need to be doing intervals on Ali’I and don’t need to be on your aero bars. Get on the base bar, be fully aware of your surroundings, and respect the locals who live here.
Mahalo.
T-2 sleeps…
Café of the day: Holuakoa Coffee Shack – this one is up on the coffee road above Kona, so a little drive away (or a bike) but worth a trip and perhaps an opportunity to get away from the Queen K, Ali’I Drive and see a bit more of what the Kona area has to offer.
Click here for Laura Siddall’s preview and predictions ahead of the IRONMAN World Championship.
Click here for Laura Siddall’s in-depth Kona interview with Lisa Perterer.
Are we in a triathlon boom, or hurtling towards burnout? Laura Siddall on the growth of the sport
